Coffee ...variation...

[Ozarkwoodswalker]

Just wonder sometimes how coffee can taste so different....sure I know there are different blends from strong to weak....but I swear....some cups I get are fablous....and some just need poured straight down the drain....
To make my observations more tangled and confusing...I'm including coffee you get at McDonald's...or stores...ya know...not home made....I mean you might think the simple explanation for variation there is how long it's been made...and part of the time that is the answer ...but I don't think always. As a frugal old cob, I have one of those McDonald's cups .(.like they used to give out so that McDonald's will give me a free refill of coffee whenever I go in and ask, I'm probably into thousands of free cups I've got by now...wore out one cup and working on wearing out the second. ...but that's a different story.....back to topic .)
About a third of the coffee I get in my free cup is fablous...as good a coffee as I ever swallowed..about a third is just common and drinkable but not great ..and about a third is pure swill I just pour out....and there has to be more too it than it's sat too long cause often they have to make a fresh pot and the just made coffee seems to follow the 1/3 rule for fablous, acceptable, or swill....could just be my taste at that moment.....but it confuses me ...of course....umm....lots of thinks can confuse an old guy if you get to thinking to deep about it......like, I just wondered how many of you followed this twisting rabbit trail clear to this point.... Maybe those determined souls will have some good answers to my ponder.......and I'm wondering....will a 1/3 of those answers be genius, and a third be ..well, I suppose maybe that might be reasonable, ...and a third be....gee what has that guy been drinking??? ,

[CT_Shooter]

Well, in theory, McDonald's is nothing if not consistent from store to store, region to region, country to country. Their processes and ingredients are strictly defined and controlled. IMO, the most likely cause(s) for the difference in the taste of their coffee from store to store would be (1) the water source, followed by (2) how well management controls the defined machine cleaning process and its timing. Though, it could also be how pissed off the minimum wage worker is that day and how creative he can be about demonstrating his anger.

Just wonder sometimes how coffee can taste so different....sure I know there are different blends from strong to weak....but I swear....some cups I get are fablous....and some just need poured straight down the drain.... I have one of those McDonald's cups .(.like they used to give out so that McDonald's will give me a free refill of coffee whenever I go in and ask, I'm probably into thousands of free cups I've got by now...wore out one cup and working on wearing out the second.

[clovishound]

Well, coffee from McDonalds that tastes really bad would have me wondering what the employee in the back added to it for that extra flavor.
McDonalds is one place I refuse to go. I've gotten bad meat, and bad cheese there. Clovispup got bad milk there. A friend of mine in high school, got a big hunk of steel wool in his. Yes, I was with him when he bit into his hamburger and lifted the top to reveal the offending item, so not just a high school story. This was the 70s, so no big lawsuits like there would be today.

The best coffee I've ever had was from Panama. I used to pick up a brand called Duran, the "alta altura" version (mountain grown). Strong, but smooth. Came in a simple yellow plastic bag, not vacuum sealed. Cheap as dirt in the local supermarket near the hotel we normally stayed at in Panama City. The last flight I made to Panama, I brought back about 10 bags and put them in the freezer. I kinda teared up some when I finished the last bag.

[BigAl52]

Ive never liked MaCs coffee and would agree with CT. Water and employee would have a huge impact on the outcome. Most of the workers at MaC's could care less about much of anything.

[Mistered]

I grind my own at home and a local, small 'variety' store has a large rack of various coffee brands I choose from.
This store is unique in that they find stuff from all over and a lot of brands I have never heard of so I try different things.
Normally they have a several Starucks varities and some other known names as well but a lot of different and unique ones as well so I am always trying something different.
Recently they had some 5 LB bags of 'Peerless' brand of dark, french roast for $4.99. I bought one but now I wish I had bought them all ! It is really good, smooth, not bitter - just a very nice coffee.

[TMB]

Along with the three possibilities (water, clean machine and disgruntled employee) already mentioned i'd say that McD's probably isn't as picky about where the beans come from as you or I and that may be a factor. As Mistered said different beans and roasts change the flavor.

[Mistered]

McDonald's? - It seems I have heard that name before.....

[Mags]

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I assume MacD uses coffee packets, so their brew should be consistent from pot to pot and store to store. As already pointed out local water quality and how long it's sat are likely some of the bad results. Another, a cleaning spin off, that could explain the "1/3" behavior build up of hard water deposits in the brewer. Descaling must be a regular part of the cleaning process.

[Mags]

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One in La Pine

McDonald's? - It seems I have heard that name before.....

[Mags]

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Now as far as home brew. I've done the grind your own, bought gourmet even went the French Press route for a while. One thing I just don't care about any more.

I have a Keurig and use Dunkin Donuts K-cups. But most of the time it's PGTips tea these days.